Making progress: Belgium’s defender Wout Faes (right) fights for the ball with France’s Randal Kolo Muani during their last-16 match. — AFP
DUESSELDORF: France got the better of Belgium again to book their quarter-final place at the European Championship – but it was a victory without much conviction.
Randal Kolo Muani’s deflected effort late in the game keeps the pre-tournament favourites on course, but a major improvement is needed in front of goal if they are to clear the next hurdle against Portugal.
Kylian Mbappe showed several bursts of pace and turns of foot to remind the Belgians of their two previous losses to their neighbour, in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Nations League.
In one dazzling move, on danced past Yannick Carrasco with such ease that the Belgian was left with a resigned look of bemusement on his face.
But Mbappe’s wizardry was all too infrequent and more alarmingly for France, he fluffed a handful of chances in front of goal that he would ordinarily have buried without much effort.
It could be he is still struggling with the mask he was wearing to protect his broken nose. Mbappe has made it clear he hates it but has to wear it as a necessary protection.
The impact of the injury on his confidence remains evident, even if this was a second game after his comeback against Poland last week.
Mbappe is not the only concern. Antoine Griezmann was brought back to play behind the two strikers but could not find the range on his attempts at incisive passes and is also lacking sharpness.
Once the post-match celebrations are over, there will much concern among the coaches as they plan ahead for the last eight at the weekend.
Coach Didier Deschamps insisted that the team’s ongoing success was not something that should be taken for granted.
“We have been playing against teams who are used to having more possession but we have made lots of progress in that regard and our opponents are more wary of us now,” Deschamps said.
“Belgium looked quite attacking on paper in their set-up today but they were prudent in the way they played.
“We did everything today to attack and create chances. We also needed to be intelligent and wary, to not give them the spaces they wanted.”
France had 20 attempts on goal to just six for Belgium, but their finishing again let them down and they have reached the last eight with none of their players having scored in open play. Initially, most of French efforts on the Belgian goal were long-range strikes from Aurelien Tchouameni, only one of which forced a save out of the goalkeeper.
But ultimately France proved the more ambitious of the two teams and finally forced the breakthrough with five minutes left to play.
UEFA decided to award the winner as an own goal against Jan Vertonghen, in a rather ignominious end to the 37-year-old’s international career, which started in 2007.
That decision also means France still have not managed to score in open play in their four matches so far at Euro 2024, plus their last warm-up friendly against Canada in the build-up to the tournament.
Les Bleus’ tally over the five games is three goals – two own goals and a penalty converted by Mbappe. Not the sort of statistics that inspire confidence. — Agencies
